10 facts about food waste
18 Apr 2019
3 mins
Find out more about food waste from Biffa and discover facts about the food waste industry.
1. The UK produces the highest amount of food waste in Europe
The UK produces an estimated 14 million tonnes of food waste each year, according to the European Commission. That’s almost twice the amount of Sweden and Spain and third higher than Germany, the second largest producers of food waste in Europe.
2. 13% of edible food and drink purchased by households are wasted
That’s the equivalent of almost three meals a week going uneaten.3. UK households binned £13.5 billion worth of edible food in 2015
4. That’s on average £540 per household
5. 40% of food waste in the hospitality industry are carbohydrates
21% of that are potatoes, like that side of chips while 12% are bakery including bread rolls and 7% is pasta.
6. The hospitality industry wastes an estimated £2.5 billion a year in food waste
7. Businesses spend 4-5% of their turnover on waste disposal
8. In 2019, landfill tax charges are £88.95 per tonne and continue to rise.
9. Anaerobic digestion produces renewable energy from recycled food waste
Food waste is collected through separate food bins and transported to one of Biffa’s anaerobic digestion plants where it’s composted down and turned into green energy which sent to the National Grid to power local homes and businesses.
10. The UK government plans to introduce annual reporting of food surplus by waste businesses
In the latest release of the Resources and Waste Strategy, the government suggest plans to introduce annual reporting of food waste by food businesses alongside five other initiatives to combat avoidable food surplus.